Category: Uncategorised

Porsche reveal Cayman GT4 Clubsport

Porsche has unveiled its track-only Cayman GT4 race car at the LA Auto Show. The GT4 Clubsport is the extreme version of the road-going Cayman GT4 – lighter and faster than the standard model.

The race car uses the same engine as the road-ready Cayman GT4, a 3.8 litre flat-six with the same power output of 380bhp.  However the Clubsport features a 6-speed double clutch gearbox with wheel-mounted paddleshifts, in place of the production car’s 6-speed manual transmission.

The Clubsport has been stripped back, swapping seats for racing buckets and weighs 40kg less overall, despite the welded-in roll cage.  The ABS system can be adjusted through 12 different settings, and comes with 380mm steel disc brakes. The stability control system has been adjusted with a setting for slick tyres.

The GT4 Clubman will be priced at £93,400, and will be available for teams and private buyers from 2016. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997

New Rezvani Beast boosted to 700bhp

California-based Rezvani will produce a mere five examples of its astonishing new ‘Beast X’, the featherweight supercar capable of 0-60mph in a blistering 2.5 seconds.

Built on an Ariel Atom chassis and weighing just 839Kg, the Beast X outputs 700bhp against the standard model’s 500bhp.  It features an abundance of performance, styling and carbon fibre body upgrades, including 10-way adjustable Bilstein dampers, new brakes, anti-roll bars and 19-inch wheels.

The 2.4-litre, four cylinder Honda K24 engine incorporates a pair of Borg Warner high performance turbochargers, as well as new forged pistons, valves and strengthened internals.  The rear-wheel drive supercar comes with a six-speed manual gearbox (sequential auto is optional) and a limited slip differential.  Styling-wise, the Beast X receives new wings, a revised front and rear fascia and dual carbon fibre wings to improve handling.

Pricing is expected to be around £215,000. 

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997

McLaren 675 LT Spider spotted

Spy images of the McLaren 675 LT Spider confirm the convertible has been given the go ahead.  The new model will join McLaren’s ‘Super Series’ in 2016.   

The 675 LT Spider will receive a hard-top folding roof, as seen on other McLaren convertibles.  It will come with the same 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine, delivering an impressive 666bhp and 526lb ft of torque.  In keeping with McLaren’s standard practice, the convertible will match its Coupe counterpart almost perfectly in performance, so can be expected to deliver the 675LT’s top speed of 205mph and 0-62mph in around 2.9 seconds.

The convertible will feature the same lightweight, carbon fibre parts as the Coupe, with the reshaped front bumper and ‘Long tail’ remaining the same. 

UK pricing is expected to be around £280,000.

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997

Creating a buzz: Aston Martin confirm all-electric Rapide

Aston Martin have confirmed plans to produce an all-electric version of their iconic Rapide luxury saloon.  The zero emissions Rapide will be available in the four door model, with four wheel drive, 1000bhp and all the luxurious benefits of an Aston Martin.

Aston Martin’s CEO, Andy Palmer, believes that producing their first battery-powered car is a necessity, stating that the new model will deliver the same performance as the V12, just without the noise.  The invertor will be fitted in the boot, with batteries running down the spine of the car into the bonnet.  The company is hoping to offset some of their overall CO2 emissions, allowing them to keep their V12s in their sports cars.

The silent luxury saloon is expected to have a range of well over 200 miles, and will be priced around £200K.  Aston Martin anticipate high demand, particularly in the US and Chinese markets, and plan to release the new car around 2017.

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997

The intelligent new Mercedes E-Class

Mercedes is set to introduce its seventh generation E-Class, the car-maker’s most popular model, with over 13 million sales globally.  The new E-Class will undergo a sleek reinvention to fall in line aesthetically with the more fluid look of the S Class and C Class saloons.

The four models in the new E-Class range will be released consecutively, starting with the Saloon, followed by the Estate, Two-door Coupe and finally the Convertible.  It is expected that efficient hybrid options will be available, as well as the top of the range E63 AMG, with a new 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine.

The new E-Class will feature the very latest technology and safety systems, including remote parking and the ability to automatically increase or decrease speed by reading speed limit signs.  The autonomous driving mode will allow the car to guide itself round motorway bends, using an interactive and intelligent web of cameras, sensors, radars and Car-to-X Communication.

The car will be able to detect hazards automatically, and if the driver fails to react, will adjust the car’s position accordingly in emergency situations.  A Digital Car Key will also be available, allowing the driver’s smartphone to work as the main key to lock and unlock the car, even if the phone has no battery.

The new E-Class range will be introduced from 2016, with pricing information expected shortly.

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997

Unique Ferrari Thomassima II selling for £5.8m

Designed and built by Tom Meade in the 1960s, this beautiful Ferrari Thomassima II has come up for sale on Ebay with a starting price of £5.8m.

Tom Meade worked with Ferrari and Maserati engineers in Italy, creating one-off specialist cars, and this example is the last available Thomassima (meaning ‘the maximum from Thomas’).  Thomassima I was lost in 1966 in a flood in Florence and Thomassima III is on display in Maranello.

Inspired by Ferrari’s Daytona-winning 330 P3/4, Thomassima II’s flambouyant curves were shaped using marine plywood buck.  The car has a rear-mounted 3.0-litre Ferrari V12 engine – the same as the 250 GT – coupled to a tubular spaceframe chassis.

Although the car was not officially manufactured by Ferrari, Tom Meade’s designs are highly sought after.  Born in California, the renowned designer made a name for himself in Italy in the 1960s after devoting his career to building one-off, artisan-crafted Ferraris.

Oracle Finance, providing flexible finance for exceptional cars.

T: 08450 944 997